Ultimate WILDLIFE camera: Sony a1 vs Nikon Z9 vs Canon R5

Budget Gear Options:

0:00 Introduction
0:48 KEH Spot 1
1:34 Nikon Z9 Price, Handling & Weight
3:19 Canon R5 Price, Handling & Weight
4:06 Sony a1 Price, Handling & Weight
5:07 Frames per Second
7:06 Nikon Z9 Pre-Release Capture
8:12 KEH Spot 2
9:35 Rolling Shutter
10:24 Autofocus Tracking & Animal Eye AF
13:31 Memory Cards & Buffering
15:02 Summary

[TonyAndChelsea]

Want more affordable wildlife gear? Check out my suggestions:

[Jonathantuba]

I went for the Sony A1 with 400mm to get that F2.8 - no regrets, my dream wildlife set up. Can always switch to aps-c or add on teleconverter for extra reach, but gives me greater flexibility, particularly when shooting large mammals. The A1 is an incredible camera - I can even AF on dragonfly’s in flight! Once locked on, is really sticky and keeps on subject. I have only ever missed AF with really messy background, and that is rare

[simonmiles]

I got to the end of this video, and I thought what a huge amount of work went into this to show us how each camera performs, thank you guys.

[crossfire]

Very good explanations of all the pertinent factors. Thank you for a great job answering my questions.

[stanleyyow]

Wow wow wow ( 13:33 ) the Nikon Z9 using a SANDISK card and ( 14:55 ) the Canon R5 using a PROGRADE card and by using only 3D AF on the Nikon Z9 which only a SMALL BOX and using 2 type of AF combination on the Sony . What a comparison, well done

[ericweber]

Do these cameras give you the ability to bluetooth your photos directly from you camera to an iPhone to then post on Instagram or other social media platforms? Or are the files too large and you must make them smaller in a photo editor software?

[rhonaldjr]

Question for you (and others in this section). I am not a wildlife guy, but want to learn. I am using Fuji xt3 (not gonna upgrade until the xt5). I plan to get the new 150-600mm lens. I am concerned about the f8 at the long end. However, I have seen most of the wildlife pictures are at f5.6 and above (many at f8). Should I just go ahead with that one or go for the 100-400, compromising on the reach (the fov gives close to 600mm on a apsc for sure)?

[galesaunders]

I am so confused my head hurts, not long started photography and have a Nikon D5600, I know I need to upgrade my camera do I go D850 which is where I was leaning toward or go for the mirrorless option. I dont want to change manufacturer as my lenses are please??

[smithcon]

... and that bird had a family ... LOL! Another great video on this channel.

[davidspina]

Looking forward to seeing how the Fujifilm X-H2S with the new 150-600 measures up against these!

[Herbridge]

Thank you Chelsea for the comparison. I have tons of older F mount lenses esp the 600/4 so can I use them flawlessly on Z9 with the adapter? I have already bought A1.and it works with newer E mount lenses. Oddly here in Hong Kong A1 is less, much less expensive than Z9.

[karikoivisto]

Great and entertaining video with positive attitude! Your videos always makes my day better. Can’t wait for the next part :)

[MarkusGebhard]

Does anyone know how the AF of the Z9/z8 performs now after several updates? Has it improved a lot?

[noxtrom]

Amazing video. Very deep and informative. Glad it shows the equivalent in metric system for the rest of the world.

[StevenT]

I can't think of any birding comparison of cameras that compare to this. Thank you!

[CDIPERRI]

Chelsea - You did a wonderful evaluation of addressing your honest opinion of all three Cameras, I truly enjoy viewing and listening to your presentations of Photography especially when it comes to your Favorite (WIld-Life Photography). I know that presenting information like this and being honest is greatly appreciated, Thank You so very much

[Sooch]

The best part of your job (besides the money) is being able to have and use all camera brands (you never really have to choose 😊) as viewers that do have to choose its great to have you guys doing honest reviews on these cameras and lenses. The best part is you can’t go wrong with any of these three brands, they are all great. I moved from a D850 to a Z9 and it’s been the greatest upgrade of any gear that I’ve ever purchased!

[ivorottleymusic]

The main issue with Sony is the lack of firmware support and not adding new features to the A1 that are implemented in their newer but cheaper cameras. At this stage, Nikons continued software updates have pushed the Z9 performance far higher, whilst the small firmware update to the Sony A1 a few months ago made the af performance on my camerea worse than before. If you buy an expensive top flight camera, whichever brand, you should expect that it is well supported and competetive for 3 years at least....In this mirrorless era, continued and frequent software/firmware improvements/support should be a part of the ownership experience..

[SohamDas]

That's the kind of video I expect from your channel. Very informative video. Love it

[sswildlifevideos]

Fantastic review - have loved this channel for over a decade!